Mountain Home Lockeroom struggled defensively with six errors and handed West Plains, Mo., three unearned runs that made all the difference Monday in a 7-6 loss in American Legion Baseball Monday at Lester White Field.

Results of the five-inning nightcap were unavailable at press time. Head coach Lester White's club closes out the regular season tonight when it hosts Gravette. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.

Lockeroom (16-11) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but went dormant offensively for the next four frames.

Mountain Home got things started in the first with a one-out walk to Sky-Lar Culver, a single by Austin Gardner, and an RBI single by Kyle Stephens. Hayden Hall's sacrifice fly to right field plated Gardner, and Todd Miller's RBI, infield single put the home team up 3-0.

Lockeroom starter Mason Smith was victimized by two errors in the top of the second, which handed West Plains its first run.

Miller took over pitching duties for Lockeroom in the third and was greeted rudely as West Plains' Chance Boyd singled, Cooper Emrich doubled, Taylor Gill provided an RBI single and Dusty Harrill singled home a run to tie the game at 3.

Miller limited the damage as he used back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to strand a pair of runners.

West Plains took advantage of two more Lockeroom errors to take the lead in the fourth, and used a single by Cale Corman, a ground-rule double by Ben Loge and an RBI groundout by Tyler Collins to send the lead to 5-3 in the fifth.

A double by Emrich and an RBI hit by Corman put Lockeroom into a 6-3 hole entering the bottom of the sixth.

Mountain Home finally got something going when Alex Harris' two-out single started a rally. Culver drew his second walk of the night and Gardner picked up an RBI with an infield single. After Kyle Stephens was hit by a pitch, Hayden Hall singled to the hole at shortstop and both Culver and Gardner scored to tie the game. Stephens was gunned out trying to take third to end the inning.

Lockeroom's poor defense struck again the seventh when Zack Hunsaker reached on a wild throw on a potential groundout. Stephens bounced back to strike out Collins, and got Joey Block to hit into a fielder's choice that forced a pinch runner at second.

Block flashed his speed by stealing second and third, and scored the go-ahead run on Boyd's infield single.

Mountain Home made a last-ditch effort to force extra innings when Josh Cathey and Mason Smith delivered two-out singles in the bottom of the seventh, but West Plains' starter Harrill used a fielder's choice grounder to end the game.

West Plains outhit Mountain Home 12-11 on the day. Gardner was 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs for Lockeroom, while Miller and Stephens had two hits, one run scored and one RBI apiece. Hall was 1 for 3 and led the team with three RBIs.

Stephens took the loss, working one inning in relief. He allowed one run on one hit and struck out one. Miller worked four innings and allowed five runs — four earned — one eight hits and two walks. The left-hander struck out four.

Smith — in his tune-up start in preparation for the Zone 2 District Tournament — worked two innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits.